These events seemed to be getting more sexualised with each passing year. With the inevitable commercialisation of these “pageants”, there is greater pressure on participating parents to present their children in more graphic and outrageous ways. To me, this is legally-acceptable; socially-sanctioned; quasi-paedophilia. It sez more about the mind-set of parent(s) of these children then we could imagine.

I absolutely reject the claim by “pageant” participants, supporters, and apologists, that these events are simply “harmless fun”. I also reject the claims by people such as one child model’s mother who claimed that,

“If you see sex when you look at my six year old child, that’s not her fault. It’s a sign of somebody being sick in the mind’”

Rubbish.

Just because parents dress their daughters in sexually-provacative, adult-style clothing, and then make them do a “bump’n’grind” routine on a public stage – that makes it everyone elses’ fault when they are repulsed by the objectification of their own child?

I don’t think so.

The reaction of nausea and revulsion at these “pageants” is a normal reaction of people who understand that there should be a clear demarcation between children and child’s play and adult activities involving adult themes.

This is as far removed from children playing “dress up” as a medical X-Ray machine is from an atomic bomb. Both produce x-rays, but you wouldn’t detonate a A Bomb in your city.

It is disturbing to learn that “Universal Royalty” is planning to bring these repugnant events to our country. As if New Zealand hasn’t imported enough negative aspects of American culture already?

The objectification as women as sexual objects permeates almost every aspect of Western society, whether it be magazines, television, movies, advertising, music videos, etc. It appears that some in Western society are pushing the boundaries even further, bringing younger and younger girls into commercialised, quasi-sexualised activities. It seems that our If-it’s-not-illegal-then-do-it attitude is impacting on children as young as two or three.

What next? Strip-tease? Semi-nudity? I give it a couple of years before the boundary is pushed to that limit and beyond.

And the incredibly disturbing aspect of all this is that it is not the stereotypical paedophiles – men in trench coats – that are the perpetrators here. It is parents.

I believe we need to understand a simple fact; parents do not always make the right choices for their children. The high level of child neglect, abuse, violence, and killings makes that abundantly clear. Whilst 99% of parents would not have a bar with these odious “pageants”, it is the remaining 1%, and their apologists, that must concern a community.

Unfortunately, there are most likely some adults – parents – who do not understand the nature nor ramifications of this activity and would see nothing wrong in putting their children into such an environment. Just as there are other parents who see nothing wrong in smoking in the presence of their children. Or giving sugary fizzy-drinks to toddlers. Or…

It is said that it takes a village to raise a child. Sometimes, that village has to step up to the mark and tell a parent that their ideas or behaviour is unacceptable.

“Child beauty pageants” are unacceptable. They are organised by adults; for the gratification of adults; and controlled by adults. The child participants are on stage for display only.

That is objectification.

I hope people take time, a few minutes from their busy schedules, to email Annette Hill ( annette@universalroyalty.com ) to politely request that she stay away. We simply don’t need further Americanisation of our culture. We don’t need our children to grow up any faster than they already do. And we don’t need them to become sexualised objects.

It’s a crazy world we live in. And seemingly getting crazier each year.

From America, we had the dual inventions of television and fast-food. Used separately, in moderation, both are pleasant to have.

Put them together, though, and we have a guaranteed pathway to obesity.

Not content with keeping artery-clogging, weight-gaining fast-food to themselves, our American cuzzies were generous enough to share their KFC, McDonalds, Burger King, Dominos, etc with the rest of the world. “Share the love”, as they say.

And the calories that go with it.

Keep the kids in front of the TV – another “gift” from American culture – with cartoons and other children’s programmes, and advertisers have a ready-made audience to market toys, branded clothes and shoes… and more fast food. (Just in case the little Darlings didn’t get the ‘message’ first time around.)

Kids getting overweight?

Not a problem.

Because our American mates have the solution;

Yep – a diet guide for six year olds “Maggie”, courtesy of Hawaii-based author Paul Kramer. Because Mr Kramer is obviously so concerned about obesity in his country that he decided to do something about it.

Yes, folks; legitamised paedophilia! Never mind the Raincoat Brigade – that old “Stranger Danger” is so “20th Century“. The 21st Century does it with ‘style’ and with glamour, fame, and big bucks in mind. There’s money to be made in six year old little ‘Maggie’ or ten year-old Thylane.

Next in line; sexy lingerie for children?!

And don’t let the critics interfere with the rights of parents to prostitute – er, I mean, to “let their kids have a good time”. These critics are just “wowsers, right? Why shouldn’t six and ten year olds do sexy little burlesque dances on stage? As the mother of six-year old Eden Wood said about her daughter,

“If you see sex when you look at my six year old child, that’s not her fault. It’s a sign of somebody being sick in the mind'”

Yeah… riiiight, Ms Wood, just because you dress your daughter in sexually-provacative, adult-style clothing, and then make her do a “bump’n’grind” routine on a public stage – that makes it everyone elses’ fault when they are repulsed by the objectification of your own child.

You know people, Western society is highly sexualised as it is. Whether it’s advertising; movies; tv programmes; or music videos (which are practically soft-porn these days), society uses sex for everything. And then we scratch our heads in bewilderment that kids are more sexually aware these days and teenage pregnancies have skyrocketed in the last few decades. Gee, you don’t think there might be a link?!

Now some groups in society are pushing at the last, previously off-limits, boundary: under age little girls.

They’ve sexualised and abused the bodies of mature women. Then teenagers. And now they’re after the bodies af girls 10 years old and younger.

We put people into prison for treating children this way.

But no longer. Because now there is money to be made here, and for some parents, that makes it ok.

Money. It makes everything seem ok.

Including paedophilia, it seems.

***

One of the US organisation responsible for these so-called “child beauty pageants” is called “Universal Royalty“. Their email address – in case readers would like to directly voice their concerns at the activities of this group – is;

In the same issue of “Woman’s Day” that features blonde, bosomy babes in bikinis on the cover; tucked away at the bottom left, is an article on that most bizarre, and obscene, activity – child “beauty” pageants. The story relates to six-year old Eden Wood, an American (of course!) child who has been “tarted up” and entered into US child “beauty” pageants.

Little Eden is evidently travelling to a similar-styled “pageant” in Australia.

God help us, but it seems that this American-inspired, legally-sanctioned child pornography, is coming Down Under. And I have zero doubt that there are enough warped parents in this country who would likewise turn their children into “Las Vegas showgirls”, complete with “bump’n’grind” stripping routines.

The mother of Eden Wood justifies the sexualised exploitation of her daughter by declaring,

“If you see sex when you look at my six year old child, that’s not her fault. It’s a sign of somebody being sick in the mind. “

Really?!?!

Congratulations, Ms Wood; you’ve just given a good enough reason to justify child porn. After all, “if you see sex when you look at a six year old child, that’s not her fault. It’s a sign of somebody being sick in the mind.” So let’s have plenty of images of kiddie porn, right?

I sincerely hope that this US-inspired, sexualised exploitation of young children never comes to this country. I, for one, (and the rest of our household) would be protesting outside any venue that held such a travesty.

Make no mistake, this is not children playing “dress ups”. This is not innocent “fun”. This is adults sexualising children for their own misguided, perverse pleasure. Such parents may not understand the implications of these child “beauty” pageants – but those implications exist nonetheless.

This is nothing less than socially “acceptable” paedophilia, served up by mothers and fathers, to the Raincoat Brigade.

It has no place in our country.

[Note: The movie, “Little Miss Sunshine“, is a satirical look at the phenomenon of child “beauty” pageants, and pokes fun at the entire concept. The end scene is both insanely funny – and with a dark, underlying message as well. The movie is available on dvd, and I recommend it. ]
– Thursday, 28 July 2011

“Soul Sisters”?

… and as we all know, “soul sisters” are best photographed when they are both nubile young blondes, in scanty white bikinis.

I do believe that “Woman’s Day” has breached a new demographic market; young, heterosexual males, with testosterone in their veins instead of blood.